Opening the library…

Search the Bible

On Baptism

Tertullian

Chapter 4

About this work

An early Latin treatise defending Christian baptism, interpreting its biblical patterns, discussing preparation and administration, and warning against a teacher who rejected water baptism in the church.

Author: Tertullian
Date: c. AD 198–203
Origin: Carthage, North Africa
Genre: Theological Treatise

Chapter IV.—The Primeval Hovering of the Spirit of God Over the Waters Typical of Baptism. The Universal Element of Water Thus Made a Channel of Sanctification. Resemblance Between the Outward Sign and the Inward Grace.

But it will suffice to have thus called at the

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

outset

those

points

in

which

withal

is

recognised

that

primary

principle

of

baptism

,

—

which

was

even

then

fore

-

noted

by

the

very

attitude

assumed

for

a

type

of

baptism

,

—

that

the

Spirit

of

God

,

who

hovered

over

(

the

waters

)

from

the

beginning

,

would

continue

to

linger

over

the

waters

of

the

baptized

.

But

a

holy

thing

,

of

course

,

hovered

over

a

holy

;

or

else

,

from

that

which

hovered

over

that

which

was

hovered

over

borrowed

a

holiness

,

since

it

is

necessary

that

in

every

case

an

underlying

material

substance

should

catch

the

quality

of

that

which

overhangs

it

,

most

of

all

a

corporeal

of

a

spiritual

,

adapted

(

as

the

spiritual

is

)

through

the

subtleness

of

its

substance

,

both

for

penetrating

and

insinuating

.

Thus

the

nature

of

the

waters

,

sanctified

by

the

Holy

One

,

itself

conceived

withal

the

power

of

sanctifying

.

Let

no

one

say

,

“

Why

then

,

are

we

,

pray

,

baptized

with

the

very

waters

which

then

existed

in

the

first

beginning

?

”

Not

with

those

waters

,

of

course

,

except

in

so

far

as

the

genus

indeed

is

one

,

but

the

species

very

many

.

But

what

is

an

attribute

to

the

genus

reappears

likewise

in

the

species

.

And

accordingly

it

makes

no

difference

whether

a

man

be

washed

in

a

sea

or

a

pool

,

a

stream

or

a

fount

,

a

lake

or

a

trough

;

nor

is

there

any

distinction

between

those

whom

John

baptized

in

the

Jordan

and

those

whom

Peter

baptized

in

the

Tiber

,

unless

withal

the

eunuch

whom

Philip

baptized

in

the

midst

of

his

journeys

with

chance

water

,

derived

(

therefrom

)

more

or

less

of

salvation

than

others

.

All

waters

,

therefore

,

in

virtue

of

the

pristine

privilege

of

their

origin

,

do

,

after

invocation

of

God

,

attain

the

sacramental

power

of

sanctification

;

for

the

Spirit

immediately

supervenes

from

the

heavens

,

and

rests

over

the

waters

,

sanctifying

them

from

Himself

;

and

being

thus

sanctified

,

they

imbibe

at

the

same

time

the

power

of

sanctifying

.

Albeit

the

similitude

may

be

admitted

to

be

suitable

to

the

simple

act

;

that

,

since

we

are

defiled

by

sins

,

as

it

were

by

dirt

,

we

should

be

washed

from

those

stains

in

waters

.

But

as

sins

do

not

show

themselves

in

our

flesh

(

inasmuch

as

no

one

carries

on

his

skin

the

spot

of

idolatry

,

or

fornication

,

or

fraud

)

,

so

persons

of

that

kind

are

foul

in

the

spirit

,

which

is

the

author

of

the

sin

;

for

the

spirit

is

lord

,

the

flesh

servant

.

Yet

they

each

mutually

share

the

guilt

:

the

spirit

,

on

the

ground

of

command

;

the

flesh

,

of

subservience

.

Therefore

,

after

the

waters

have

been

in

a

manner

endued

with

medicinal

virtue

through

the

intervention

of

the

angel

,

the

spirit

is

corporeally

washed

in

the

waters

,

and

the

flesh

is

in

the

same

spiritually

cleansed

.

Notes

1
Intinctorum.
2
Redundat.
3
Alveo.
4
Acts viii. 26–40.
5
Medicatis.
6
See c. vi. ad init., and c. v. ad fin.